Zack Snyder is having quite a year. Just two months after his long-anticipated Snyder Cut release, Snyder is back with Army of the Dead, taking him back to the genre that got him started – zombies.
Back in 2004, Snyder was hired to direct a remake of the late George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, and quite frankly, Dawn is one of the best horror remakes of its time, so I was excited to see what he would do next in this film. The good news is that Snyder is now 2/2 in 2021 as both Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Army of the Dead are two of the best films he’s directed in his career.
Now with Army of the Dead, many would presume that Army would be just another entry in the zombie genre. Still, my excitement stemmed from his growth as a filmmaker, and Army of the Dead shows glimpses of a director who has evolved but still keeps tropes that do more harm than good when it comes to the overall productivity of his films.
Army of the Dead’s premise is as simplistic as it gets – a military vehicle holding a beast gets into a crash with a honeymooning couple driving In the opposite direction. The beast is released, and it immediately kills its military escort, turning them into similar monsters. It happens right outside of Las Vegas, and we watch the virus quickly get out of hand, spreading through Sin City to the tunes of “Viva Las Vegas.” Sound familiar? The opening of the film is reminiscent of 2009’s Watchmen.
Vegas is now in quarantine, and with all casinos abandoned, there’s $200 million left in a vault. A team led by Dave Bautista, including Omari Hardwick, Raul Castillo, Theo Rossi, Nora Arnezeder, Ana De La Reguera, Garrett Dillahunt, Tig Notaro, & Ella Parnell, attempt to seize the coveted cash.
If you think some batshit crazy action occurs, you’re right. The film does well focusing on its characters. Snyder was recently praised for his character development in Justice League. He follows suit in Army by ensuring that his mercenaries are a fleshed-out group with real incentives to join the cause, which adds to the emotional weight of each of their outcomes throughout the 2:28 run time of the film.
I’ve jokingly mentioned that Snyder’s disdain for a color palette is quite noticeable with his DC work for years on the podcast. Not only is Army of the Dead bright and full of colors and life, but it’s filled with both serious and comedic tones, which made for a more consistent, balanced work.
While all folks involved add to a great ensemble, Dave Bautista offers a career-best performance as a flawed, broken Scott Ward, who struggles with events from the past while attempting to better himself. I, for one, would love to see him continue to take on his action/dramatic roles in the future.
Now for many, the main event of this film will be the zombies. In this world, the zombies are more intelligent, deadly, and faster than most, leading to some of the genre’s most entertaining action pieces. While we have two zombies leading the pact, Zeus and his Queen, it’s the zombie tiger that will undoubtedly make folks want one in their backyard ASAP.
Junkie XL (Tom Holkenborg) is back again to score the film, and it’s right on par with his brilliant scores of yesteryear, including Mad Max: Fury Road and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The score and the traditional Snyder needle drops are on full display throughout and are a highlight.
I mentioned that the Snyder tropes were still on display and not in a good way. The run-time takes the film from excellent to very good as 2 hours and 28 minutes is just too long for a movie of this nature. Some moments continue to drag out throughout the film that easily could be eliminated and improved the film’s overall pacing. Along with the run time, Snyder’s slow-motion tricks are sprinkled throughout and unneeded as always. While some may look at it as a Snyder staple, I consider it a detriment that hurts more than helps his films.
Army of the Dead is a quintessential Snyder film. No ifs, ands, or buts, there will be no Snyder Cut of this film. Army of the Dead is on steroids and an ideal way to kick off the summer blockbuster season.
